Neil Robertson and Mark Selby have the chance to become the first player to complete the Home Nations set at the Northern Ireland Open in Belfast. Both players have won the Welsh Open, Scottish Open and English Open, but neither has yet lifted the Alex Higgins Trophy.
Home Nations history in the balance
The Home Nations series was created in 2016. Judd Trump has been the most successful player in it, winning six titles, but four of those came in the Northern Ireland Open and two in the English Open, so he needs Scottish and Welsh success to complete the set.
Mark Allen is closing in on the quartet, having won the English, Scottish and Northern Ireland titles twice, so he just needs Welsh glory. Gary Wilson has won two Scottish Opens and a Welsh, while Stuart Bingham has landed an English and a Welsh.
Robertson's Belfast ambitions
The Northern Ireland Open begins on Sunday, with Selby facing Louis Heathcote in the afternoon and Robertson taking on Ricky Walden in the evening. Robertson is a big fan of the Waterfront Hall event and would love to get his name in the record books there.
'It's always one of the first tournaments I think of whenever I come into a new season,' Robertson told Metro. 'I'd love to get this one to complete the set. It's a really beautiful city, we don't always get treated to the best weather out there, but the fans and the venue is brilliant. It's one of the best venues we play in. So it's always nice to do well in that one. The closest I got is the semi-finals, lost to Mark Allen. It's a great event, so hopefully do well.'
Robertson won the Alex Higgins International Trophy back in 2011, one of the old PTCs held in Killarney, beating Judd Trump in the final. 'I've got a really nice crystal trophy at home with Alex Higgins on it, but not this iteration of the event. So I really want to complete the set in Belfast.'
Form and other contenders
Completing the Home Nations set this month would be very good timing for the Australian, who is without a ranking title since August last year. Robertson won the big-money Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters last season, but has not been to a ranking final since then.
Selby has been in more impressive form of late, winning the China Open in August and reaching the British Open final in September. Ronnie O'Sullivan is in the draw and due to take on Cheung Ka Wai on Monday, in what would be his first professional event in the UK since the World Championship. Mark Allen is also scheduled to return, having not played since the Crucible, due to play close pal Jordan Brown on Tuesday afternoon.
